Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai prime minister, yesterday travelled to his country’s troubled Muslim south, defying the death threats of separatist Islamic militants by engaging in a quintessential Thai activity: shopping. Flanked by 40 well armed and armoured soldiers and security men, Mr Thaksin, accompanied by one of Thailand’s leading actresses, strolled around Narathiwat’s central market buying snacks, chatting with vendors and posing for photos. His public show of shopping bravado was intended to bolster public confidence in the Muslim-majority region, where terrified local businesspeople have been shutting up their shops and stalls on Fridays, after anonymous flyers circulated in local markets warned those working on the Islamic holy day would be punished by death. Full Story
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